title: A functional MicroRNA-155 ortholog encoded by the oncogenic Marek's disease virus.
abstract: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus-encoded microRNA (miRNA) MiR-K12-11 was recently shown to be a functional ortholog of miR-155, a miRNA that plays a major role in lymphoid malignancies and the modulation of immune responses. Here we show that miR-M4, encoded by the highly oncogenic Marek's disease virus of chickens, shares common targets with miR-155 and thus is also a functional ortholog of miR-155, the first one identified in an alphaherpesvirus. The observation that two distinct oncogenic herpesviruses associated with distinct types of lymphomas in different species encode functional miR-155 orthologs suggested the importance of this miRNA in regulatory pathways and the biology of lymphomagenesis.
authors.affiliation: Viral Oncogenesis Group, Division of Microbiology, Institute for Animal Health, Compton, Berkshire RG20 7NN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Yuguang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yongxiu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Hongtao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Luke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lambeth
authors.forename: Lorraine P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kgosana
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Venugopal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nair
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002645:Chickens; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D008156:Luciferases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D025922:Mardivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D012367:RNA, Viral; D008156:Luciferases